ashes to ashes
by tatty ted
Summary: Lauren Fairhead is a typical teenager, she thinks she knows what's best so when a fuel tanker drives through the hospital, she doesn't think twice about helping people against the advice of others. The problem now is that she's stranded, injured and believes she's going to die. - —OC. /2004 crossover rewritten.
1. CHAPTER I

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**ashes to ashes**  
_see my head aches from all this thinking._

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"I'm _fine _stop moaning." She stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, applying bright red lipstick to her lips, her brown hair straightened and resting on her shoulders. Charlie stood on the opposite side of the bathroom door, arms folded across his chest.

"Lauren, you've been sick three times this week."

"And what's so bad about that?"

"It's only Monday." There was a sigh from Lauren as she finished applying her lipstick and put it back in her makeup case. She picked up the case and walked towards the bathroom door and opened it.

"Dad, you worry too much and I'm fine, stop worrying." She kissed his cheek and slowly walked to the top of the stairs. It was only then that she felt slightly dizzy and grabbed hold off the banister. She thought she was going to fall but Charlie held the top of her arm.

"You're not okay Lauren, I'm taking you to hospital."

Lauren sighed but knew there was no point in arguing with her father, he was stubborn like her mother. She smiled softly and they walked down the stairs. She sat down on the bottom step and put on her red heels.

"How come your making such an effort?"

"Is it a crime for a girl to want to look good?"

"You fancy someone don't you?"

"No!" Lauren exclaimed but she couldn't help her cheeks from turning a bright red colour. Charlie smirked and Lauren looked at the floor, not answering his question. Alright, she'd admit it, she did fancy someone and that's why she'd gone to all the effort of looking good.

"So who is it?" Charlie asked with a smile and Lauren shook her head; "No-one you know, just a friend. _You_ will never meet him."

Charlie pouted and she laughed. They left the house and walked to the car before Lauren felt dizzy again. She sat down on the bottom step and Charlie knelt in front of her, "Lauren, how long has this been going on for?"

"A week or so, I'm fine most of the time."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Lauren heard what he was saying and shrugged her shoulders. She said she didn't know why she hadn't said anything but the real reason was because her mother had died recently and her father was busy sorting everything out.

She didn't want him to be worried about her too.

"Do you think you can make it to the car?" He asked and she nodded her head. Charlie put his hand out for Lauren and she held his hand and stood up, walking towards the car. She got in the passenger side and leant her head against the head rest.

The journey to the hospital was quiet apart from the soft tune of the radio, "Have you been eating?"

"Yes."

"Properly?" There was a pause and Charlie glanced at Lauren. She was fiddling with her fingers and being very quiet, "Lauren?"

"Not properly no but I can't keep anything down." There was nothing exchanged and Charlie pulled up outside the hospital. Lauren looked at her father and smiled softly, "You go home, I'll be alright on my own."

"You sure?"

"Yes," she kissed his cheek, "I've got my mobile phone so I'll call you." She got out of the car and slammed the door closed. Her father drove out of the hospital grounds and she waved bye to him before turning around and walking into the Emergency Department.

/

The Emergency Department was busy but Lauren expects that, it's not called the Emergency Department for nothing. She walked towards the desk and saw Bex arguing with a patient as per usual. She looked around before she tapped her fingers on the desk.

"Can I see a Doctor please?"

"Name?" She looked up, her eyes falling upon Lauren, "Oh it's you, what's wrong."

"My father insisted on bringing me here because I keep being sick and going dizzy, I tell him I'm fine but you know what he's like, he worries." She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, "Oh sugar, here goes."

She walked towards the front row of seats and sat down beside a middle-aged man. She took a few deep breaths trying to control her breathing, waiting for the dizzy spell to pass. Bex watched her closely and decided she should be seen urgently,

"I'll get someone to see you asap." Lauren made eye contct with Bex and nodded, "Thanks."

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**jottings** — should update _flying without wings_ but this idea wouldn't leave me alone. plus, not to mention i've been watching casualty holbycity and i was very inspired by the 2004 crossover where jim died:( if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review.


	2. CHAPTER II

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**CHAPTER TWO**.  
_oh so rescue me._

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She's sat there, staring at the signs that's notifying the patients they've got a four hour wait. She sighs, takes out her mobile phone and begins to play on one of her games, hoping it'll pass the time.

She's not been sat there long absent mindedly staring at the phone when she feels the whole building shake. She's not the only one who feels it because everyone in the waiting area stares at each other, wondering if it was all in their imaginations.

"Did you feel that?" Lauren asked Bex who nodded and agreed that she felt the building move. No-one said or did anything for a moment until Tess walked towards Bex and said that everyone would have to leave as there was a majax.

"What's a majax?" The middle aged man beside Lauren asked and Lauren turned to him; "A majax stands for a major accident. It's just something, anything that requires special steps to be taken by the hospital. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."

Lauren stood up and walked towards Bex who was trying to get all the patients out of the hospital; "What's happened?"

Bex looked at Lauren, sighed and whispered back; "A fuel tanker's driven into the hospital."

Her eyes widened, "Are you serious? A fuel tanker, that's like—do they know what kind of fuel he was carrying?" She shrugged and Lauren sighed. She looked around before she decided that she was going to stay around and help.

She was about to walk to Harry when he saw her first. He didn't know what she was doing here but he was worried, Charlie wouldn't forgive him if something happened to her.

"Lauren what are you doing here?"

"I was about to be a patient until a tanker decided to use this hospital as a pit stop."

"You need to go it's not safe." He warned her but she put her hand on his arm, "I'm not going anywhere. Look your in the middle of a majax and you need all the help you can get. I might not be a Doctor or a Nurse but I can do something."

"Your father—"

"Wouldn't like it but I'm an adult and I don't have to listen to him."

Harry didn't reply for a moment before he nodded his head and agreed that she could stay and help Bex, as long that's all she did. Lauren promised that's all she'd do, she wouldn't try to interfere with what they're doing.

/

She was outside, staring at the hospital rubbing her hands up and down her arms, freezing cold. Her feet ached in her heels but she couldn't stop helping people, it was built in her, this need to help others.

"Lauren? Lauren, are you injured?"

"No I'm fine Tess, I'm here to help." Tess put her arm around her shoulder and tried to steer her away, "Don't be silly, you can't help. Stand here and don't move, I'll be back in a minute."

Lauren stayed where she was until she realised that Bex was missing. She bit her lower lip hard, wondering where she could've gone. She looked around and moved away, asking people if they knew where Bex had gone.

"She went to the pharmacy with the drugs rep." Josh said gently and Lauren answered;

"I'm going to go and find her." There was an hand on her wrist and she turned around, "Do you think that's a good idea?"

"Probably not but do you know of a better idea?" She shook her arm free and walked towards the Nightingale Wing. Josh repeatedly called Lauren's name but she didn't listen, she had to go and find Bex, if she didn't and something happened, she'd never forgive herself.

/

She hadn't been there for long, in the building when she heard the most earth shattering explosion. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, knowing this could be it and she might never be seen alive again.

"Bex?" She didn't have chance to listen for a reply when the ceiling began to crumble. She dived for cover, the rubble falling around her, saying a silent prayer that she'd get out of this alive, she was too young to die.

When it had finished snowing bricks and dust, she sat up, coughing. She felt slightly dazed and touched the top of her head where she felt something warm. She sighed when she realised she must've hit her head on something.

She stood up, the destruction around her resembling a bomb site. The tanker must've exploded, how else would the whole hospital have exploded? Lauren makes a decision that Bex isn't here and begins to walk away, hoping to find some sort of exit.

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**jottings** — if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review:3


	3. CHAPTER III

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**CHAPTER THREE**  
_a little love can set you free._

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There is a sound of smashed glass, breaking glass and Lauren stops. She looks around, deciding if she should go left or right and follows the sound left. There's a man, armed with a fire extinguisher, trying to get into the pharmacy.

"You haven't seen a woman have you, pretty with blonde hair?"

"No sorry." He smashed the glass again and she chewed her lower lip, "Look, we need to get out of here."

"I need to get some drugs first." She put a hand on her hip; "Are you serious? This place is falling to pieces and all your interested in is drugs? Come on." She grabbed his arm but he pushed her away and she ended up putting her hand through the glass.

"Fuck!" She muttered as she held her hand to her chest which was bleeding profusely.

"Look I'm really sorry." The man said and Lauren shook her head, "That's not important, try and find an exit before we're both burnt alive."

She looked around, hoping there'd be medical supplies nearby but sighed, when she realised there wasn't. She saw another explosion and closed her eyes, once again saying a little prayer hoping she'd be safe.

"Is there anyone here?" She shouted. She breathed a sigh of relief when two voices shouted back. At least she wouldn't be alone with this man who clearly looked like he needed a fix and would do anything to get one.

"In that bag do you have a bandage? I've got a deep laceration to my hand, I don't think there's any glass in it but I can exactly tell in these conditions." Lauren asked as they got nearer. It was only then that she saw the Nurse was holding a baby who couldn't be more than an hour or two old.

"Student Doctor?" The Nurse asked and Lauren laughed and shook her head; "Lauren, Charlie Fairhead's daughter. Jim Brodie we meet again, I told you we would didn't I?" Jim placed the bag down on the floor which the junkie picked up and began to look through.

When he found what he wanted, he dropped the bag and left.

"Can I have a look?" Lauren held her hand out for him and he said; "That's nasty."

"Could've told you that myself." She smirked, "Who's your Nurse?"

"She's a midwife, she's called Rosie." Lauren looked at the Midwife and began to laugh; "He's Jim, your Rosie. That's funny, like really funny." Lauren felt scared, really scared. She knew there was a possibilty none of them would escape this alive and that scared her.

Jim carefully let go off her hand, "There's an isolation ward around here somewhere, the next floor I think. Do you think you can make it?"

She nodded. Her arm wasn't going to drop off so she could definitely make it to the next floor. She wished she'd listened to Harry and Josh and everyone else who warnned her it was dangerous. She'd do anything to be outside right now.

They walked away trying to find a possible escape route. They found the stairs and it was slightly unrealistic to think the stairs were still standing. In a fire, the first thing that would melt would be the stairs. She was right, the stairs were full of flames.

They end up in the elevator shaft, hoping someone will find them. They are found by the firemen and they sent the baby up to safety who told them to hang on, the equipment to rescue them was coming. Lauren thought it was stupid to say hang on, it wasn't like they were going anywhere was it?

"You've got to get us out of here there's fire everywhere."

"Can you get to the next floor?"

They said they'd try and they got to the next floor. It wasn't without its drama that's for sure, the ceiling falling to pieces and covering them in soot and god knows what else. If that wasn't all the midwife Rosie got a piece of debris stuck in her stomach and she was pregnant!

"Lauren, there's an isolation ward around here somewhere, I need you to go and get some sterile supplies and bring them back, can you do that?"

She nodded and went, trying to find the isolation ward. She came back five minutes later with the stuff Jim had asked for. She'd wrapped her hand up in a bandage trying to control the bleeding, knowing it'll have to do.

"I want you to go back to the isolation ward." She shook her head, "No."

"Lauren it's not up for discussion, go!" Lauren sighed, took one last look at Rosie and Jim and began to walk towards the isolation ward. She knew she'd never forgive herself if something happened to them because she was too selfish to stay.

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**jottings** — if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review:3


	4. CHAPTER IV

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**CHAPTER FOUR**.  
_release me, release my body._

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"Lauren! What an earth?!" Harry exclaimed as his eyes fell upon Lauren. When he agreed she could help he didn't mean this. She made eye contact with Harry and smiled slightly; "I tried to find Bex but I couldn't find her and then I got stranded, I'm okay."

"It looks like it." There was a silence and she looked around. She knew this was the end, she wasn't ever going to see the outside world again. She bit the skin around her thumb and whispered; "We're going to die aren't we? We're going to die and there's nothing we can do."

She sat down in the corner, "Well I'm not scared of dying, really I'm not."

Connie knelt down to her level and touched her arm, "Lauren look at me."

She looked up from the floor, her eyes falling upon Connie. Tears pool in her eyes and all she wants to do is burst into tears. She won't cry though, she _can't_ cry. She bites her lower lip as she listens to Connie;

"You're not going to die, we're not going to die okay?"

"We are, we're going to be toasted alive and it'll be my fault for being stubborn and insisting on helping."

The radio crackled and Connie stood up and walked towards it. According to Ric their only chance of escape was through a vent of some sort. It was dangerous but Lauren didn't think anything was more dangerous than a burning building with the fire edging towards them every minute.

They had to cross a bridge that wasn't very stable and Lauren stood at the side, staring down at the raging fire. She wondered if you'd feel anything if you fell and hit the bottom. She grabbed Harry's arm, "I can't do it."

"You can."

"I can't." He looked her in the eye and nodded, "You can, come on."

With the help of Harry, she got over the bridge and followed the others. She was nervously picking at her bandage, feeling sick and dizzy again but knowing she has no choice but to go on. There was a noise and Lauren told everyone to be quiet.

"Did you hear that?" She asked. They nodded and began to shout for help. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Josh;

"God Josh, I could kiss you!" She smiled softly, a tear escaping her eyes and rolling down her cheek. She wiped it away before anyone coud see she was crying. When she got outside, on the ground, she stared up at the hospital falling to pieces and found it surreal.

She was in there, that explosion. Connie pulled her into a hug and whispered; "I told you we'd be okay."

Lauren smiled softly, "Thank you for keeping me calm." She breathed out and pulled out of the hug. She slowly walked away, knowing how lucky she was tonight. She never believed in the existance of guardian angels but perhaps that's what kept her safe.

She saw her father amongst the crowd and she walked up to him. He pulled her into a hug as she burst into tears.

"If you _ever_ pull a stunt like that again, I'll have a heart attack."

Through her tears she couldn't help but laugh slightly. She wasn't ever, going to do something as stupid as this. Next time there's a major accident, she'd be on the sidelines watching but certainly not helping.

"I thought, I thought I was going to die."

"Sssh!" He whispered soothingly to his daughter. He'd gone through a nerve-wrecking couple of hours on the ground, not knowing if his daughter was going to make it out alive. She pulled out of the hug and they looked at each other for a moment before he kissed her forehead;

"Come on, lets get you checked over." Lauren linked arms with her father and together, they walked away from the hospital. She'd never forget today, the way people sacrificed their lives to save others. People like Jim who was the real hero of today.

"Dad?" She paused, "I need an alcoholic drink."

Charlie didn't say anything, he just laughed, his heart filled with sadness at the disaster and losing a colleague. This — this was a hospital where people went to be saved but tonight, people died. And people should never die in a hospital, ever.

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**jottings** — the story is finished, the sequel is on its way which will be titled; _dust to dust_. yes, i've been bored recently hence the reason i've rewatched the casualty/ holby city crossovers which were amazing. thank you for the reviews/favourites/alerts, they mean everything to me:3


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